We’re often asked what to write in the subject line of a cover email. Some people like to get creative and put things like “Rockstar Assistant Candidate” in their subject lines, and while there are definitely hiring managers that will respond well to this, it’s also possible that some will think it's overly showy. Because of this, we like to play it a little safer.

From our perspective, there are two good options for your subject line. Often, the hiring manager will indicate the exact verbiage for the subject line in a posting as a test to see which candidates can and cannot follow directions -- an easy way to weed out unqualified applicants. When there's a specific directive, follow it exactly -- if they used all caps or a colon, you should do that too. In this case, if you choose to go with your own subject line, don't be surprised when you don't get a phone call for an interview.

When there are no specific subject line instructions in the posting, we like to use “[Position title] Candidate: [First & Last Name]” (for example, “Agency Assistant Candidate: John Smith”). Using this format allows you to clearly indicate what position you are applying for, and it also helps you stand out in the crowd. Many email programs tend to group emails that have the same subject line together, and using your name will ensure that you will get your own thread. Plus, it makes your email easily searchable later on.

Realistically, your email subject line won’t make or break your application (unless you have a spelling error or fail to follow instructions). There are plenty of options that are perfectly acceptable, so pick one and then focus on creating a stellar cover email!

Accepting a new job is a BIG deal. And if you end up in the wrong position, you could potentially have a few miserable months ahead of you or a much harder time making a career transition later on. Yes, the entertainment industry can be competitive, but that doesn’t mean you should always take the first job you’re offered.

The beginning of your job search is when you should be most picky. Assess what jobs are available and make note of how many interviews you’re landing. If you’re getting called in for tons of interviews (even if they aren’t working out), you’re probably a strong candidate for the types of roles you’re applying for, so if you can financially afford to take your time with the job search, it’s a good idea to wait until a position comes along that aligns with your interests and sets you up for future success. It’s also important to consider who’s on the team you’ll be working for -- if a potential boss has a terrible reputation, you’d probably be better off passing on the position and finding a more pleasant working environment.

We understand that some people won’t have the luxury of passing on a job offer, and in that case, you’ll need to be a little more strategic about your search. If you aren’t getting interviews (and you’re 100% confident that your resume and cover letter are stellar), you may want to re-evaluate the positions you’re applying for. If employers aren’t seeing a match, perhaps you should broaden your search -- it’s possible that something you hadn’t considered before could be a better fit.

Most importantly, go with your gut. Do your best to avoid taking a job because you’re desperate. If something doesn’t feel right, it’s probably not the perfect job for you. It’s okay to pass on an opportunity that you aren’t excited about -- you’ll thank yourself in the long run.

A mistake we see frequently on resumes, especially among assistant candidates, is a tendency to lead multiple bullet points with words like “assisted” and “supported.” In some cases, these verbs can be very helpful, but overuse can make you sound like you’re not able to work independently or take charge of a situation. You'll sound like a much more experienced candidate if you can find a way to minimize these verbs and own your responsibilities.

It doesn’t matter if you were the sole person responsible for a task or if you worked with a group -- if you’re comfortable doing the task on your own, it’s okay to say “planned and executed events” instead of “assisted with the planning and execution of events.” You’re not lying by leaving out the fact that others were working alongside you. And if you’re not sure that a responsibility is something you can do on your own, take the opportunity to showcase your teamwork skills by using verbs like “collaborated.” Think hard about what you’re actually capable of, and use that as the basis for your resume bullet points.

Keep in mind that if you’re looking for a position where you’ll be supporting an individual or team, you should include "supported" and "assisted" somewhere on your resume, but they definitely should not appear more than once in each section. Even one bullet point that shows administrative support or a similar skill is enough to prove you can do a job that requires administrative assistance, and the rest of your bullet points can be used to highlight other important skills. And if you’re applying for anything higher than an assistant position, you can lose any assistant-related verbs entirely.

Remember, your resume is the first tool that will make an impression on a hiring manager, so you want to find every possible way to maximize its impact and stand out from the crowd. To do this, it’s important to take ownership of your responsibilities -- don’t undersell yourself because you’re feeling timid. ​

If you’re currently employed and looking to make a career move, you might be finding it tough to fit applying for jobs into your schedule. It’s hard to give your all at your current job while staying on top of all the new job postings that come out each day. And there’s no way around the fact that an aggressive job search strategy is going to consume a significant amount of time and energy. But, there are a few practices that you can put into place that will help you make the job hunt just a little more manageable. Here are three tips for you to consider:

1. Target your search. Your goal should not be to send out 50 job applications a day. Doing so will decrease the quality of your applications. Go for quality over quantity instead. If you can make a list of 10-15 companies (or fewer!) that you’re really interested in and focus the majority of your energy mining the career pages, reaching out to recruiters or hiring managers, or making contacts at those companies, you’ll be making the best possible use of your time. Obviously, the goal is to find a job that you’re passionate about, and a very targeted job search is the way to do it.

2. Create a schedule. Set aside time for job applications and create a routine that you can stick to. Divide up the 10-15 companies on your list and tackle a few each day. For example, perhaps you visit the career portals for companies 1-5 on Monday, 6-10 on Tuesday, and 11-15 on Wednesday, then spend time on Thursday looking up various job lists and checking LinkedIn. If you don't see any openings you’re interested in on a particular day, spend time searching LinkedIn for employees who might be able to sit down with you for an informational interview.

3. Let the internet do some of the work for you. Getting automated job alerts delivered directly to your inbox is a great way to save time. Many companies’ career pages have an option to sign up for job alerts, so check if any of the companies in your top 15 have this feature and implement it immediately. If that's not an option, you can set up a Google alert to conduct these automated searches for you. Finally, LinkedIn is very useful for identifying potential opportunities, often at companies you hadn’t considered before. You can create saved searches through LinkedIn with specific search terms, and the site will email you daily with openings that match your keywords. Set up a few different alerts with relevant phrases and see what comes up. Even better, when you start clicking on the positions that interest you, LinkedIn’s algorithm will further refine your search results, so be sure to check the “Jobs You May Be Interested In” page regularly (in addition to your email alerts) to maximize your chances of finding a cool gig.

Keep in mind that a strong network is going to be a big part of making the job search less time consuming—a direct email from an employee notifying you of a job opening is going to save you the time of digging around on the internet, and it’s the most efficient and direct way to get your resume into the right hands. So even if you aren’t seeing great opportunities every day, you can still spend your time networking with the right people, and when that perfect position opens up, you’ll be first in line.​